Seeing a critically endangered creature in the wild has got to be one of the best parts of being a diver. This week we saw one of our favourite residents on the reef, a critically endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Hawksbill turtles are placid creatures and are omnivores that primarily eat sea sponges but have…
Pipefish (Syngnathinae) in Lombok In some parts of the world, the humble pipefish (Syngnathinae) is an elusive character to try and find. Related to the better-known seahorse and enigmatic seadragon, pipefish like to hide in plain sight… in between the branches of a sea fan or nestled in between the protective spikes of a sea…
Week 1: PADI Divemaster Training in South Lombok Malina and Luisa are our two German sisters who are taking their PADI Divemaster Training in South Lombok. Here’s their report of their first exciting week with Two Fish Divers! “After a 40 hour journey from Germany we arrived completely exhausted at Two Fish Divers South Lombok.…
Awesome: “exhibiting or marked by awe; showing reverence, admiration, or fear. Slang. very impressive”… Awesome is the perfect word to describe one the oceans most colourful and wonderful critters, the Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus), part of the Stomatopod family. Here in South Lombok we see many of these incredible predators on our dive sites…
One of the strangest looking fish in the sea must be the humphead or bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). The largest of the Parrotfish family (it really is huge!), this herbivore is identified by its beak-like teeth that it uses for scraping food from the reef – and in this particular species, it’s strange “bump-like” forehead.…
We had a rare week of not seeing Hammerheads at Belongas this week. Normally this would be a source of disappointment down here at Two Fish Divers South Lombok but the easy diving in mild currents, with clear waters full of schooling mobula rays and the occasional mola more than made up for it! Visiting…
Sea cucumbers are found on most sea floors around the world and well… we think they’re kinda weird. Some are so spectacular they can be mistaken for nudibranch or anemones such as the yellow sea cucumber (above), colochirus robustus. Some have lumps, bumps or spikes like the prickly redfish, thelenota ananas and some that we…
This week we’ve been lucky enough to watch one of our favourite fish in both of our South Lombok locations, Belongas Bay as well as on the reefs around the “dive farm” in Sekotong (South Gili’s). The fish in question is the bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus) or jackfish. Some divers make the mistake of thinking…